Construction hits glitch in Roy

ROY — Hope Community Center construction plans have hit a glitch, so the city doesn’t expect to start moving seniors and the Boys & Girls Club into the new building until late this month or mid-January.

However, the city is still making plans for the building.

Problems with the structural steel have been worked out, but slightly slowed construction, said City Manager Chris Davis.

Building went fairly quickly once funding was ensured, but not quite as fast as the city had hoped.

The project on land donated by the city was funded by a Community Development Block Grant, private donations and a three-year RAMP grant. RAMP funding comes from a tax approved by Weber County voters in 2004 that allows the county to impose a local sales tax of one-tenth of 1 percent, which is 1 cent on a $10 sale, to improve recreation, arts, museums and parks.

Officials had hoped to have the building finished in time for the Christmas lights’ debut last week, but now it looks like the official grand opening will happen the end of January.

The city also overhauled the parking lot the center will share with city offices, adding several more parking stalls for the disabled and moving the entrance to the office farther north. Access to the west of the parking lot will also be limited to emergency vehicles, so the area won’t be used as a thoroughfare.

Councilman Michael Stokes suggested the city be prepared for how it will handle use of the facility, adding he’d like the city attorney to define the city’s rights and responsibilities.

As it stands now, the building will house the city’s senior center and the Roy chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. The city will also be able to rent out the building as a reception center.

Currently, the senior center is in the basement of the city offices.

“We have never had anything like that with the seniors,” Davis said regarding an agreement for services. He said it would be a good idea to be on the same page with all the organizations, though.

Davis said the city will be responsible for lighting and maintenance, but other details are being hammered out by the city attorney.

“We want them to come in and we welcome them, but we don’t want to have any bad feelings,” Stokes said of the use of the center. “We need to have everything in policy so they’re happy and we’re happy.”